Orange: Museums, Nature and History

Orange offers a range of themes for a trip with an overnight hotel stay: military history, local culture, outdoor art, natural areas and seasonal activities. For planning, it helps to decide on your main interests first. Visitors interested in collections and historical stories will find different attractions from those who want to focus on trails and landscapes. There is also a specific activity for a particular age group for outings with children.

Museums, History and Art

The West Point Museum collection includes weapons, uniforms and mementos of American soldiers from the 17th century to the present, as well as military artifacts from around the world. The museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret historically significant objects related to the United States Military Academy, the United States Army and the profession of soldiering. A broad military history collection is thus presented alongside a clearly defined institutional perspective.

The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame preserves the history and traditions of Standardbred horse racing, along with more than 40,000 artifacts related to harness racing. Its focus is on a single sport and its heritage, while the West Point Museum covers military subjects across several centuries and from around the world.

The galleries at the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor use interactive exhibits to trace the life stories of selected Purple Heart recipients. The Museum Village of Old Smith's Clove, by contrast, explores small-town life in late 19th-century America. Its Natural History Museum features the nearly complete skeleton of Harry the Mastodon. At the Candle Shop, visitors can make their own candles; hands-on learning programs and on-site learning experiences are aimed at students and families. At the Orange County Arboretum, the Remembrance Walkway and Garden honors those who died in the September 11 attacks.

Storm King Art Center in New Windsor is a 500-acre outdoor museum and is accessible by Metro-North Railroad and NJ Transit. Outdoor art is its focus, setting it apart from the historical collections. Another distinct option is LEGOLAND New York Resort, with rides and attractions for children ages 2 to 12.

Nature, Trails and Seasonal Activities

The Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge manages more than 6,000 acres of land in Orange County, New York, and Sussex County, New Jersey. Nature-based recreation is part of the refuge’s mission. At the same time, it protects habitat for forest and grassland birds, migratory waterfowl, wintering raptors and endangered species. Here, nature recreation and conservation go hand in hand.

The Heritage Trail is 19.5 miles long and provides access from Goshen to Harriman. It is suitable for hiking, biking and inline skating. When snow conditions are suitable, it can also be used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. These winter activities depend specifically on snow conditions and complement the trail’s other stated uses.

Winding Hills Park includes 40-acre Diamond Lake and a four-acre pond. When weather conditions are suitable, its trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Alongside the seasonal activities available on the Heritage Trail, park trails are also available for these two winter activities.

Cronomer Hill Park has a wooded hiking trail and a 30-foot observation tower. The observation tower, which is closed until further notice, offers views across the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding region as far as High Point in New Jersey.

Regional Beverage Culture

Orange County has a craft beverage scene that includes local breweries, wineries and cideries. Brotherhood Winery offers a notable piece of wine history: founded in 1839, it is the oldest continuously operating winery in the United States. The region’s range of themes thus extends from historical collections and natural areas to a long-established winemaking tradition.

Explore More Destinations

Explore more destinations: Montgomery, Walden, Orange Lake, Florida, Campbell Hall, Unionville, Port Jervis, New Windsor, Newburgh, Goshen, Greenwood Lake, Chester, Middletown, Highland Falls, Slate Hill, New Hampton, West Point, Woodbury, Cornwall, Fort Montgomery

For the regional travel overview: New York.